TRUST
by TooSkinny
Summary: I know we all were wondering where Hawkeye was during the WINTER SOLDIER aka (the fall of SHIELD). Well this is that story. (Rated M for Language and Violence)
1. Hail Hydra

**Welcome. This is a story I've had in the back of my mind for about a year now. I know we all were wondering where Hawkeye was during the WINTER SOLDIER aka (the fall of SHIELD). Well this is that story. I hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think.**

 **Disclaimer : I do not own any of these characters, all rights go to Marvel.**

 ** _TRUST_**

"Target in sight Wilson, he's at your 4 o'clock near the hotel entrance."

"Copy that Barton. Hold your fire until I give the signal."

The man called Barton sighed. He could've easily completed this mission now and vanished without a trace. "Copy that."

He removed his gloved finger from the trigger but continued staring through the scope of his TAC-338 sniper rifle, refusing to let the target out of his sight.

Everything about this mission annoyed him. The location, his partner, the weapon he was being forced to use, all of it. From the moment Director Fury had said the words "no bow on this mission Barton" he knew it was likely to be extremely uneventful.

He'd completed these types of missions hundreds of times with very little effort. It was always the same 4 step process. _Locate the Target, Get into Position, Kill, Disappear._ He always silently dreaded step number 2 because he could be stuck in position for however long SHIELD deemed necessary. Sometimes it was minutes, sometimes it was hours.

It would be a lot different if his favorite partner was here. God he missed Nat so much. If she were here he could play his favorite game which he liked to call _poke the spider._ He would talk about anything and everything which drove Nat absolutely bonkers. In the end she would threaten Clint with death threats that were so creative, that he really speculated on if you could actually kill somebody in those ways.

Suddenly he saw what he knew his current partner James Wilson was waiting for. Zooming in on the scope of the rifle that he hated so much Clint noticed a tall man dressed in large trench coat moving directly towards the target.

"I've located the contact. Wilson he's in a navy blue trench coat on your 9 o'clock. Don't forget we need the contact alive."

 _There was dead silence…_

"Wilson do you copy? The contact is moving in fast from your 9 o'clock."

 _More silence…_

"Wilson come in!" Clint rotated his sniper rifle slightly to the left where his partner who was disguised as a valet driver, should have been.

Instead Clint saw a crowd of people surrounding a man who was sitting at an awkward position in a chair behind the valet desk. Clint adjusted his scope making it zoom in a little once more. His heart very well may have dropped into his stomach due to what he saw.

The man this crowd of people were surrounding was none other than his new partner James Wilson. In the dead center of James's chest was a whole the size of a cantaloupe. Clint knew right away that he had been shot by a sniper which meant he wasn't the only one stalking his prey right now. The adrenaline kicked in hard and fast, and Clint wasted no time in relocating his target.

This mission was compromised but he still had a job to do, and it would only take him a second too complete it.

Clint found his target again 10 seconds later which was slightly longer than he would have liked. The sudden adrenaline rush impaired his vision slightly but he knew how to deal with it. He began to take deep even breaths. _INHALE... EXHALE… INHALE… EXHALE._ He tickled the trigger as he lined up the shot. The targets head exploded all over the concrete, but it wasn't from Clint's rifle. The man who was thought to be the contact was standing over him with a desert eagle pistol that was smoking from the barrel. Clint lined up a shot on the second man, but then he hesitated as his mind tried to process everything.

This trench coated assassin wasn't someone he needed to kill, at least not at this very moment. He needed to interrogate him and find out who he worked for.

Clint grabbed his rappelling gear and hooked himself up a fast as he could. A moment later and he was scaling the building, and in another moment he had his boots on the ground. He didn't have time to break down his rifle so he had to abandon it on the rooftop. The 9mm pistol he had holstered on his thigh would have to do.

Clint grabbed the small radio off his belt and said in a calm but serious voice "This is Agent 102, Agent 143 is down and so is the package. I'm in pursuit of the shooter."

No response.

"Shield do you copy, is anybody there?" Clint asked. "What the fuck is going on today?"

If Clint were being honest he had been in compromised situations more times than he'd like to remember, but he had always been able to get himself out of them. Situations like these didn't scare him but they sure did annoy the hell out of him. It was funny how a simple mission could turn into one large catastrophe in a matter of seconds.

Clint spared a quick look at his now dead partner. Rage quickly filled Clint to brim and all he could think about was himself emptying his magazine in the mysterious assassin's head. He may not have particularly like Agent Wilson, but he knew the man had a wife and a daughter back home. Clint swallowed hard when he realized he'd probably have to be the one to tell them. He push these thoughts to the side, he had to focus on the objective.

Clint searched the crowded street, his eyes landing on every single person they came across until "Found you you son of a bitch."

Clint began running at full speed ducking and dodging the many civilians that littered the streets. The man was about 200 yards away walking casually trying to blend in. Clint would have no problem sneaking up on him through the crowd. He smiled at this realization.

Clint was about 10 yards from the assassin when the mysterious man ducked into an alley. Clint knew the tail was blown but he followed anyway, his curiosity and rage were getting the best of him. He hoped that they didn't get him killed.

The man had stopped in the middle of the alley with his back to Clint.

Suddenly the man said "oh Hawkeye, you don't know how long I've waited to get an opportunity like this."

"You must be feeling suicidal then my friend" Clint said as he unfastened his thigh holster. Clint couldn't put his finger on it, but the man's voice sounded strangely familiar. He knew he had heard it before he just couldn't place it.

The man faced him and removed his hat in the process.

Clint's eyes widened in utter shock, he didn't know if he could take any more surprises like this today. The man in the trench coat was Agent Marvin Harrison, also known as the man who was supposed to be running communications on this mission.

"What the fuck Harrison?" asked Clint.

"I'd love to answer your questions Hawkeye, but I'm afraid you won't be alive long enough to hear what I have to say."

Agent Harrison gave what he must have thought was a subtle nod to somebody behind Clint.

Clint had the SIG Sauer P226 pistol out of the holster in a flash. He spun around and fired once at the new arrival. The bullet landed square in the middle of the man's forehead, right on the bullseye. Clint spun back around and fired 2 shots at Agent Harrison who had his weapon out but was to slow to get off a shot. The bullets hit Agent Harrison in the chest and sent him airborne for about 2 feet until he landed hard on the unforgiving concrete.

Clint sprinted to the dying agent and kicked his weapon away. Clint grabbed the small towel out of his back pocket and proceeded to apply pressure to the wounds.

"Who do you work for you bastard?" He yelled.

The man didn't answer.

Clint quickly pulled the combat knife out that was sheathed under his vest and stabbed the dying agent in the leg.

The alley was suddenly filled with an ear wrenching scream, and Clint covered his mouth to muffle the sound.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time if you don't answer, you're going to end up like your buddy back there" said Clint, who was shaking due to the hatred he felt. "Who do you work for?"

Agent Harrison laughed, and before Clint could do anything he bit down hard on something inside his mouth. A second later his mouth was foaming.

"NO YOU COWARD" Clint yelled while shaking Harrison.

Clint knew the man was doomed; there was really no point in staying here to watch this man die. He needed to get to a safe house ASAP.

Clint made to get up off the ground when a hand grabbed him hard around the wrist.

Agent Harrison looked at Clint and said with his last breath _"Hail Hydra."_


	2. Disappear

**Here is chapter two guys. I really enjoyed writing this particular chapter. I wanted to thank ELOSHAZZY for my first review. Keep them coming, I love hearing opinions and suggestions. Enjoy.**

It wasn't that he didn't hear the faint sirens that were getting closer and closer every second. It wasn't that he didn't see the people looking down the dark alley, wondering if he was the source of the gunshots they heard a minute prior. He was undeniably aware of the situation he was in, but shock made it damn near impossible to move.

" _Hail Hydra."_ Those were the last words out of Agent Harrison's mouth.

Clint attended a few classes at the academy that reviewed the history of SHIELD. Hydra was more or less the direct opposite of everything SHIELD stood for if he remembered correctly. They were a rogue scientific branch of the German army led by a psychopath named Johann Shmidt. They were ruthless and powerful. The thing that was bugging him was that they were eliminated back in the 1940's but here was one of his fellow SHIELD agents pledging allegiance to them right before his death.

Perhaps Agent Harrison was a fanatic and convinced a few people to follow his lead. Clint couldn't come up with any other explanation, and frankly he didn't have time to.

At that precise moment, four cars from the Arizona Police Department came to a hard and noisy stop in the alleyway entrance behind him. He quickly put on his dark tinted sunglasses. He reached into one of the many pockets on his cargo pants and withdrew a black ski mask which he slid on just to be safe.

"Freeze" yelled one of the officers, his weapon drawn and pointing at Clint.

He couldn't help but notice that the gun was shaking in the officer's hands.

"Rookie" he thought to himself.

There were only eight officers armed with standard police gear. If he were in a more open space instead of a narrow alley he would've ran for it and he doubted they would be able to catch him. In this narrow alley he got himself trapped in however, he was more likely to get shot in the back trying to escape. He would just have to go through them.

Any other man would be shit out of luck in this situation, but he wasn't an avenger for nothing.

This rookie cop was more likely to shoot him accidentally than on purpose, so he got down to his knees and slowly put his hands behind his back. _(Let them think they have the advantage)_

Almost immediately, the officers holstered there weapons. _(Bait the target or targets)_ All except for one who looked a little more seasoned then the others. This particular officer was also the furthest from him.

Two officers slowly approached him cautiously like he was some kind of wild animal. One had handcuffs in his hand while the other ( _the rookie)_ held a taser gun. The one with the handcuffs moved behind him. As soon as he felt the officer's hand on his wrist he knew it was time. _(Attack)_

He quickly got to his feet and spun around to the officers back right before the rookie let off a shot with the taser gun. It hit the officer Clint ducked behind a second before and he dropped to the ground, his body shaking violently.

Clint wasted no time. He closed the gap between himself and the rookie with blinding speed and smacked the taser gun out of his hand. The rookie threw a sloppy punch at him which he dodged with almost laughable ease. He then responded with his own punch which he aimed at the rookies gut. It connected and he seized the opportunity and ripped the stunned officer's gun out of the holster.

Taking the officer in a headlock and aiming the gun at his head he said to the other six officers "Weapons down or I'll kill him."

Obviously he wouldn't kill this innocent man who was just doing his job but they didn't know that, and like clockwork they drew there weapons and threw them away.

He slowly walked down the alley towards the now unarmed officers.

"Radios pass them up", he said.

After the officers had surrendered their radios also, he stepped on them, except for one which he kept for himself. More cops on his ass was definitely the last thing he needed. Not that they posed any real threat, but they would sure as hell make things more difficult, and Clint hated difficult.

"I need all of you to lie face down" Clint said in calm tone. "Nobody will get hurt as long as you do what I say."

The officers followed instructions and laid face down on the ground.

"Now your friend here will be coming by and handcuffing all of you" Clint bellowed.

He released the rookie, but he kept his gun trained tightly on him. Clint didn't particularly enjoy intimidating innocent people. He could almost literally smell the fear radiating off of this rookie police officer. He was sweating even more than he should be in this situation and looked like he would faint at any moment.

Now that the officers were handcuffed, he could move forward with the next part of his plan. He noticed that the he and rookie were approximately the same height and build. He knew that the officer was wearing basketball shorts under his police trousers. He had discovered this during the short and uneventful fight they had.

So he didn't feel bad when he told the rookie "strip down to your undergarments and do it fast."

The request he made was met with a puzzled stare from the officer. Clint tightened the grip on the gun and moved forward a couple of steps. That did it.

The officer had his uniform off in about fifteen seconds. It was sad really the affect he had on this poor man. He honestly thought to himself that after this incident the man should choose another career path. He clearly wasn't cut out for this.

He quickly changed into the officer's uniform. It was almost a perfect fit. If Clint wasn't as muscular as he was then it probably wouldn't have fit so snug. It would do for now though. He attached the one unbroken radio to the belt and also took the rookies car keys. He handcuffed the rookie and laid him face down just like the other officers.

It took him about thirty seconds to find the right car for the keys he took. It was a dodge charger that seemed to be in perfect condition, other than the potent smell of cigarettes inside. He started the engine which roared to life. The car literally shook while it was in neutral. It shook almost as much as the poor rookie now handcuffed on the ground next to the others. This was one hell of a machine. It was too bad that he would have to ditch in a minute or two.

He accelerated down the long road and away from the trouble he just caused. Last night when he was scouting the area for a potential snipers nest, he remembered there had been a small mall not far from the building he had chosen. He needed to get there and fast. After driving about ten blocks he spotted the tiny mall. He parked the police car at an Olive Garden that was located across the street. He crossed the street and walked into the mall searching for the first clothing store he could find. Once he had found one he discreetly walked the aisles and grabbed a few articles of clothing that looked like they would fit and hurried into the changing rooms.

He changed his entire outfit in about 20 seconds. Years as a spy made him able to change with the speed of a runway model. Now there was just one more thing he needed to do before he left.

He pulled out an unused burner phone he had in case of emergencies. He dialed the number of the only person he could trust in a situation like this. Her phone rang and rang… and rang some more.

He decided he would try one more time. "Damn it Nat pick up" he said to himself trying to keep the frustration from taking over.

Once again there was no answer. He didn't panic. She was SHIELD's top agent. She was probably on a mission right now and could not talk, he understood. They had both been a situation like that before, more than once actually. Once he was in a safe house he would try to contact her again. It was time for the next step in his plan. _(Disappear)_

He walked out of the changing rooms and put on a friendly smile. He walked up to the older gentleman that was working the cash register and looking as if this was the last place he wanted to be right now. That was understandable; it appeared to be close to closing time.

"Hey how are you doing today, this is quite the store you've got here" Clint said in a very upbeat manner. "Are you the owner?"

"Thank you young man and yes I am it's my pride and joy" said the man with a clearly forced smile. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"There is actually" said Clint rather cheerfully. He was still keeping up the ruse of an interested customer. "I wanted to buy this outfit I have on plus that jacket behind you that's hanging on the wall."

The man's face showed a hint of irritation, but it was gone almost as fast as it appeared. He turned around to look at the jacket Clint was talking about.

Clint acted way too fast for the elderly man to react. He leaped over the counter and grabbed the man in a sleeper hold. He was out cold in ten seconds, and Clint gently set him down on the floor.

The police would soon be putting out an alert and sketch of a Caucasian male dressed in a police uniform. He needed to cover his tracks.

It was times like these that he thanked god for having a partner like Natasha for so many years. Before he met her, he was the world's most lethal marksmen and an above average assassin. Over the years however, Natasha had been a big help, training him in hand to hand and tradecraft techniques. He was almost as good as she was now in those areas, even though he knew he would never actually be better. Natasha would make sure of that.

Clint looked at the store entrance to make sure nobody had seen what he just did. He pulled a wallet out of his new pants. The wallet was filled with a bunch of bogus credentials. He took a one-hundred dollar bill out of the fold and set on the unconscious man's stomach. He couldn't chance anymore people seeing him inside this mall. So instead of going out the way he came, he slid out the back door of the store.

Once he was back in the parking lot, he saw a chubby man getting out of a Cadillac Escalade. He pulled out the burner phone he used a couple minutes earlier to try and call Natasha. He picked up the pace in his walk like he was in a rush while acting like he was on the phone having an important conversation.

"No mom I told you I wanted the purple one, how many times do I have to tell y- oh, sir I'm so sorry I didn't see you there" said Clint as he _accidentally_ bumped into the man.

"It's alright man just be a little more careful" barked the man in a tone that suggested it wasn't okay at all.

He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his car keys weren't in his hands anymore. They were in Clint's. If the man wasn't such an asshole he might've actually felt bad about this.

Clint unlocked the doors to the Escalade and hopped into the driver's seat.

"Well I guess that's what insurance is for" he thought to himself chuckling a little bit. He would definitely be telling this story to Natasha the next time he saw her.

For now he needed to figure out what the fuck was going on. He pulled out of the parking lot and was off to the safe house.

But was it really safe?…


	3. Compromised

**Authors Note:** **Sorry this update took so long you guys. Things have been pretty hectic with this new job and school. I also wanted to say welcome to my new followers. This chapter is about as long as the other two, I hope you guys enjoy, and don't be shy. Let me know what you guys think. I also take suggestions.**

Clint casually but cautiously drove around the block of his safehouse five more times, until he was satisfied that he wasn't being followed. He was paranoid. He knew this already, and the way he kept jerking his head to the left and right at the slightest noise proved that. However, he couldn't possibly count the amount of times being paranoid had saved his life.

He parallel parked the huge vehicle across the street from the house, his eyes forever searching for any sign of a hostile threat. He decided to enter through the backdoor to try and keep up his low profile. Once he was inside he would be safe. Even if people were watching the house, there would be enough firepower inside to hold off a small army. He was positive that he wasn't followed to the safe house but since the mission was so badly compromised, he automatically assumed that people were watching the house just in case.

He quickly and stealthily hopped over the backyard fence and crept up to the backdoor. He opened the metal box attached to the wall beside the door which would require a scan of his hand. Without too much pressure, he placed his hand on the scanner which lit up as it scanned every inch of his palm. His updated picture from about three months back flashed on the screen and below it the screen read **_Identity Confirmed_** _._ The door instantly opened with a small clicking noise, and he was inside in a flash.

He was pleased to see that this safe house was more or less the same as every safe house he had used while with SHIELD. It had a strong rotten egg like smell to it, which he was sure had something to do with the leftover takeout the previous agents hadn't bothered to cleanup. It didn't bother him. He had certainly smelled worse in his lifetime. (The smell of a couple dead bodies came to mind)

There was work to be done and he needed to move fast. He looked around the small musty house for ten minutes until he found what he was looking for. It was a laptop which he might need if his current plan failed. The thing he really liked about SHIELD safe houses was that to the naked eye, it just looked like a normal house. If you knew where to look however, you were bound to find some outrageous equipment/weapons.

He walked around the living room stepping on the floor a little bit harder than was necessary. It creaked incredibly loud with every step until finally he stepped on a spot that was covered by a rug. This spot was a little bit more solid than the rest of the floor and also didn't creak.

"Gotcha" he said out loud unable to hold back his proud smile. Man did he impress himself sometimes.

He picked the dusty and very ugly rug up off the floor and tossed it into a corner. Looking back down at where the rug was just laying he noticed a hatch with a handle attached to it.

"Let's see what Santa's brought us today" he said still grinning like a child on Christmas morning.

He pulled open the hatch and winced at the noise it made. It was a lot louder than he expected. Once the hatch was opened to its full capacity, the dark space below was immediately filled with light. He smoothly slid down ladder and wasn't surprised in the least by what he saw in the tiny room. All the walls were completely covered in every type of weapon you could think of. From pistols to RPG's, it had everything and as though the room knew what he was thinking, it was also equipped with a large duffle bag so he could easily pack what he needed.

"Right let's get to it" he said to himself.

He walked around the room grabbing various weapons and bringing them back to the duffle bag. He grabbed two more Sig Sauer P226's. An FN SCAR assault rifle and a Heckler & Koch Ump 45 sub-machine gun. The armory he was pleased to see was stocked with plenty of ammo, which wasn't always the case in safe houses. He grabbed plenty of it just in case. He also grabbed some explosives. Explosives were always good to have. He prayed that he didn't have to use them, but if he did he almost felt bad for the person on receiving end.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something that he had completely overlooked the first go round. There was a bow hanging on the wall with a quiver of arrows hanging right next to it. It had been so long since he needed to use a safe house that he forgot Director Fury had ordered this for him. Every SHIELD safe house around the world was equipped with a bow and arrow just for him. Just in case he didn't have one and things went terribly wrong. Well this was definitely one of those situations. It was kind of crazy the things SHIELD did for their best agents. Clint knew (even though Natasha thought he didn't) that in every safe house there was more ammo for the Glock 26's she used, than any other pistol.

He walked over to the bow and picked it up with both hands. He examined the length, weight, and durability of the bow. It was top of the line and he could definitely put it to good use, but it still wasn't his bow. It would do the job though. It had been a couple days since he held his bow in his hands. He remembered back to when he and Nat had first become partners her favorite joke was that if he had to choose between a night with her or a day with his bow, he'd choose the bow. That was definitely saying something since Nat was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid his eyes on, but she was probably right about that. He held the bow with one hand while using his free hand to grab the quiver of arrows. There were about fifty which was about the same amount he usually had in his own custom quiver. He took them both and gently placed them on top of the other weapons. Now that he thought about it, they needed to be at the top because if shit hit the fan, those would be the first things he grabbed.

With the heavy duffle bag over his shou6lder he climbed back up the rigid ladder and shut the loud hatch. Something was wrong. He knew it from the moment he closed the hatch. Something was giving him goosebumps and he couldn't figure out why. Suddenly he heard what sounded like an army of footsteps moving in towards the house. It wasn't just on one side; he could hear some moving towards the front door, and some moving towards the back. He dropped the duffle bag and quietly crept to the window next to the front door. Well crept was kind of an overstatement considering how loud the floor creaked. He lowered one of the closed blinds with his finger and he peeked through the small opening it created. There were men. There were a lot of men. About fifteen men to be exact dressed in standard SHIELD STRIKE gear. All of them were armed with AR-15's and a sidearm.

"Fuck" he said under his breath.

The weapons he packed were a couple steps away. He should've grabbed something as soon as he heard the footsteps, but he didn't. Now that he had seen the threat the next obvious step was to grab a weapon. Even now he was hesitant because he just analyzed the formation the men were using. They were in a standard SHIELD stack formation that the STRIKE teams used all the time. There were so many questions going through his mind right now. Was this SHIELD? Were these imposters? Was there some type of event that had compromised the shadowy organization? He would have to find out later.

He walked back over to the bag and pulled out two claymore mines which he positioned at the front and back doors. He then pulled out two grenades and one of the Ump-45 sum-machine guns. The gun would be more efficient in such a narrow space. He cocked it and threw the strap over his shoulder. He then ran up the steps to the second floor. He took cover behind the dusty old bed in the first bedroom. Now all he had to do was be patient and listen.

He heard the two doors being kicked in at about the same time. He smiled and covered his ears. Two explosions rocked the entire house and that was his signal. He rolled over the bed and quickly ran down the stairs. On the way down he pulled the pins out of the two grenades he had in his pockets. He threw one out of the back door and the other out of the front. He didn't even need to see what happened. The ear wrenching screams told him all he needed to know. Now he just needed to get the fuck out of here. He grabbed the laptop and threw it I the duffle bag. He then threw the duffle bag over his shoulder and had his gun at the ready as he ran out the front door. There were two men who were struggling to get back to their feet. They were clearly still disoriented from the explosions. He shot one of them directly between the eyes. The other man pulled out his side arm and went to shoot himself but Clint was too fast for him. He shot the man in the hand which caused the gun to drop to the ground.

"You're not getting of that easy you son of a bitch, you're coming with me" Clint said to the man.

"I don't think so Hawkeye" said the man. "We are but a few heads of a many headed monster. More will come for you."

The man then proceeded to aggressively bite down on something. Clint had a flash of Déjà vu.

He ran forward for the second time that day and tried to stop what he knew was an inevitable death. He cursed under his breath again as the man's mouth filled with foam. If this man was right and more were coming, than he needed to get one unconscious, so he had time to remove the cyanide tooth and interrogate them. He also didn't miss the part about the man saying these men were a few heads of a many headed monster. The only monster that came to mind at that description was a hydra. This meant that these men were hydra. They couldn't be hydra though, could they?

Clint crossed the street heading for the SUV he stole earlier. There were people standing in front of their houses obviously stunned at the fact that there street was turned into a warzone. He paid them no mind however; he just threw the bag in the trunk and hopped in the vehicle. He set the sub-machine gun in the passenger seat before starting the vehicle and speeding off.

He was in deep shit right now and he knew it. Not only was the Arizona Police Department after him, but now he had what appeared to be Hydra after him to. He needed to make contact with somebody and fast, before he ended up dead or in jail. He was driving for about 30 minutes before deciding to stop at a rather large gas station. He pulled into an empty parking space and pulled the burner phone from his pocket again. Instead of dialing Natasha's personal cell phone he dialed her secret cell phone, whose number she only gave to him. This would be his first time using it. He dialed the number and waited to hear the voice he missed so much. She did not answer the phone. It stopped ringing and was going to voicemail in a second, so he was about to hang up when suddenly he heard Natasha voice.

It was just a recording but he listened anyway. "Barton SHIELD is compromised. Trust no one."

Clint thought that was the end of the message because his ears were met with static, but it cleared up almost as soon as it appeared.

Natasha's message continued.

"Barton there's something you should know."

He could hear her take a deep breath, which meant that this was not going to be good news. He braced himself.

"Director Fury is dead" she said.


	4. Going Fishing

**Here is chapter four guys. I really enjoyed writing this chapter.**

 **WARNING: There is some graphic violence in this chapter.**

He felt as though time had stopped. He felt as though all the wind had just been knocked out of him. For the first time in his life his brain seemed to shut off. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think, he couldn't see, hear, or smell anything. For the second time in his life he felt nonexistent. Pain and suffering didn't do justice to what he was feeling in his heart at the moment. He wasn't a crier. He would never cry for anybody, but he suddenly wondered what the warm liquid flowing down his face was. He wiped at it and discovered it was a single tear that had fallen.

The only two men in the world he could say he cared about enough to even call family were now both dead. Coulson's death was one of the most difficult things he had ever dealt with in his life. He'd taken down entire criminal organizations single handedly. He had made a shot with a bow and arrow from 2 miles out. He had even gone to war with an alien race. None of that was harder than sitting down and accepting that the man who changed his life forever was never coming back. Coulson had been like his big brother from the moment he brought him into SHIELD. He had been damn near the only person who backed him up when he decided to let Natasha live rather than kill her. He had gotten Clint out of more situations than Clint could possibly ever say thank you for. However he was never coming back and Clint had finally gone through the grieving process and accepted that.

This news of Director Fury was just too much. Director Fury was like the father figure he always wanted. The man was simply amazing. Here Clint was, the best damn marksman in the entire world but sometimes Director Fury with his 1 eye and all, saw more than Clint ever could. The man was always three steps ahead of anybody or any situation. Clint knew it was completely ridiculous, but he always saw Nick Fury as a man who would never die.

He couldn't even begin to imagine what Natasha was feeling right now. Fury was to Natasha what Coulson had been to him. Coulson may have been on Clint's side when he brought Natasha into SHIELD but it wasn't because he agreed with what Clint did. He was on Clint's side because he cared about him and trusted his judgement. When it came to Natasha though, it took Coulson months before he even began to start trying to trust her. Fury was the one who stood up for Natasha and fought the war with the World Security Council to keep her from being terminated. There weren't a lot of people Natasha respected, but Fury was at the very top of the list.

Clint longed to be with her right now. She was tough and he knew all too well that she didn't need it, but he wanted to comfort her and let her know that although it might take time, she would get through it. Who was he kidding? How in the hell was he supposed to comfort someone else when he could barely keep himself together. He prided himself in the fact that he could bottle his emotions. It was something he kind of just mastered by being around Coulson and Natasha almost 24/7 these past couple of years. Right now he didn't want to bottle them up. He wanted to let go and just let them flow out. It seemed so much easier that way. Maybe he would pass out in the process. He definitely needed the sleep.

These thoughts vanished from Clint's mind almost as fast as he could think them. He imagined what Nat or Coulson would say to him right now if they saw him. Better yet he imagined what Fury would say.

"Barton get your head out of your ass and finish the mission, I don't give a damn how you feel about it those are orders." That's probably word for word exactly what he'd say.

Clint laughed as he imagined it. The Director knew how much he meant to some of his agents, but he wouldn't want Clint to break down in a time like this, not with Clint's own life in danger. No he'd want him to rise up to the challenge and do the impossible like he'd done so many times before and that is exactly what Clint planned on doing.

First things first, he needed to capture one of the men who were pursuing him. He had just the thing that would work. He and Nat called this particular trick the _**come and get me**_ _._

He stepped out of the SUV and went to the trunk to retrieve the laptop he had taken from the safe house. He would have to be quick because once he turned it on, SHIELD would know where he was, and that meant that the people who were trying to kill him would also. He powered it up and searched for an abandoned house in a secluded area that was for sale. Once he found what he was looking for, he powered down the laptop and pulled out of the parking lot, his mind set on his destination.

The plan was simple. He would set up a portable light source that he grabbed from the safe house in the same room where the laptop would be turned on. The house was tiny. There was only 1 floor with only 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. He would rig the table in which the laptop was sitting on with C4. One block would absolutely annihilate the small beat down house. This was just a distraction however the goal was to abduct one of these men who cowardly kill themselves. They were obviously active duty SHIELD agents or former agents, which meant there plan of attack would mean having at least 1 lookout. That man would be Clint's target. There was even a lookout back at the safe house when they had unsuccessfully tried to attack it. A barely visible man that was in position with a Barret 50 caliber sniper rifle wasn't exactly a man Clint wanted to go after in the heat of the moment though. This time however, he would be ready.

Once the sun went down he started to put his plan in motion. He retrieved the portable light source from the bag and set it on the floor at an angle so it lit up the whole room. He was thankful that the windows were boarded up because no windows could have been a real problem. Well not really it just would've been extra work for him. He also pulled out a block of C4 from the bag which he stuck under the small card table in the middle of the room. He programmed a small burner phone as the detonator. The last part was the laptop which he powered up and set on the table. He also plugged it up to a wireless outlet that was custom made by SHIELD. The reason he did this is because he didn't know how long these rogue agents would take to arrive. He wanted to give them a strong signal the trip here, so he could not have his plan ruined by something as stupid as a dying laptop.

Clint went out of the back door and made his way to the hill he had scouted out earlier. Judging from the terrain he knew the spot there lookout would choose because it gave him almost a full view of the house. Clint chose the spot that would give the best view of that particular spot, without compromising his line of sight on the house. He pulled out his bow and arrow, laid down and waited.

About 20 minutes passed before he heard the unmistakable sound of vehicles moving down the road towards the house.

"About damn time" he mumbled to himself. He allowed himself a small smile as he remembered that was one of Fury's signature lines.

Abducting somebody probably shouldn't make him this happy, but sand had a way of making its way into the most uncomfortable places so he was happy he was going to be able to get out of it soon.

Looking through his binoculars he focused towards where the sound of the cars had been. He saw that the rogue agents parked about a quarter mile away from the house.

"Smart" he thought to himself.

The SUV he was going to use as a getaway was parked just on the other side of the hill we was hiding on.

Keeping his eyes on the agents, he saw them forming up and making their way to the small unoccupied house. He could almost laugh at their arrogance. He was Hawkeye for fucks sake.

Clint focused his binoculars on the spot where lookout should be making his way towards. He saw not one, but three lookouts making their way to the hills.

"Fuck" he mumbled. Okay maybe they weren't as arrogant as he thought. He quickly and stealthily got up and moved over the sandy hill back to where his SUV was parked. He hid behind it and listened. Once the footsteps subsided he moved back to the hills where the three men would be acting as human sentries but they would also be separated. He quickly located the three men. One was located in the spot he knew at least one would take. Another was positioned in a spot close to where he had been. The last was positioned right between the other two. They formed a perfect C shape with their positions. He decided he would take out the one positioned the highest first, since he was more likely to see things out of his peripheral vision.

He pulled out a very sharp combat knife and crept forward with a silence that only years of experience could have given him. He came across the first man. Before the man even knew what happened he brought the knife down into the base of the man's neck severing his spinal cord. Instant paralysis. To take the man out of his misery he brought the blade down once more and stabbed the man in the side of the head right through the brain. It was silent and surprisingly not messy, just the way he liked it. The man to his left was next seeing as he was closest the house and farthest from Clint's getaway vehicle. He decided to do this the easy way since he didn't want to get close to the man. He pulled the standard bow off his back and nocked an arrow. Taking a deep breath he lined up the shot and released the arrow. He saw the arrow impale the man's head. The front and back of the arrow were sticking out of either side of the man's head.

"Two down" Clint whispered to himself. "Time to go get the grand prize."

Before he moved on the third man which was also the one he was going to abduct he focused his eyes back on the house. The agents had it completely surrounded, he needed to move fast. He doubled back to the top of the hill and back around so he could come up behind the third man. Once he was mere footsteps away from the man he heard the sound of breaching charges going off. He quickly pulled out the burner phone and typed in a couple numbers which would set off the timer that was set for 45 seconds. He threw the phone at the third man who quickly got to his feet. He turned around only to find Clint already in his face. Clint aimed a right hook at the man's ear which effectively shattered the earpiece he was using. The man threw two powerful punches at Clint who dodged them both. Clint wasted no time; he vaulted off the ground and kicked the man hard in the temple knocking him unconscious. He pulled out a pair of pliers and opened the man's mouth. He located the tooth that was filled with the cyanide capsule. He gripped the tooth with the pliers and yanked the tooth clean out of the man's mouth. The man started bleeding but it would stop soon enough.

He threw the man over his shoulder and began jogging back to his hidden SUV. Half way there he heard the monstrous explosion the C4 had caused. Even from here it made his ears ring a little bit, and he could even feel the heat wave from it. Nobody should've survived that but he had a plan just in case there were some. He would destroy their vehicles on the way out. Even if they did survive, they were still going to be in dire need of medical attention, which they would be unable to get without proper transportation.

Back at his SUV, Clint threw some handcuffs on the man and threw in the backseat, but not to gently. He grabbed two grenades from his bag and put them in his lap as he drove towards the abandoned vehicles. He rolled down the window as he got close. He could smell the burning flesh in the nights air which told him he did a good job. He pulled the pin from one grenade and through it between 2 cars, and did the same with the other.

As he saw the explosions in the rearview mirror he thought "I sure am causing quite the mess in Arizona." Explosions were a favorite of the cartels that weren't far from here seeing as the border wasn't that far. Maybe the authorities would think it was them. There was no way this would lead back to him, because he knew no officer in his right mind would think one man could do all of this.

Then again they didn't know Clint Barton, which meant that they didn't know things could get a lot messier.

And they would…


	5. Demons

**Warning: This chapter includes some torture.**

Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…

Clint paced back and forth trying to control his heart rate which was beating rapidly even though the adrenaline wore off long ago.

He was at his target destination which he set up before he ambushed those agents about an hour ago. It was an underground tunnel that was abandoned by the city due to problems with funding. Being disturbed, or heard were two things he didn't have to worry about. He wasn't scared by any means. Hell if an alien army led by an actual god couldn't scare him, he doubted anything could now. The problem was that what he needed to do here and now hadn't been done by him in many, many years.

Pain. That was the only thing that would make a man like this talk. Only a certain type of man ran around with a cyanide capsule imbedded inside one of his teeth. He was facing a man who would rather die than talk. Many men in the intelligence community claim that they live by this code. The shitty part about this claim is that the only way to find out if you really live by this code is to be put to the test.

Clint found out back in his assassin days that he could and would always honor that code. He would never rat out his employers, no matter how much he may have hated them. When he joined SHIELD it wasn't even a question, he actually cared for his boss and therefore would have taken any torture or even death before he talked.

The irony was that although he himself would never talk, he was very good at getting other people to. He had in fact been hired many times for just that, followed by an easy kill. Working for SHIELD had given him back a piece of his soul that he thought was lost forever. It was one of the many things he owed to the agency. Since working with them he had not been ordered to torture one single person. They had other people who did that sort of thing though they would never admit it. One of the perks of being partners with Natasha was that she was one of these people. He often forgot that her codename was Black Widow. She earned that title, and she definitely lived up to it.

He and Natasha were trained very differently. At a young age he was trained in different forms of combat and also in marksmanship. The army taught him the discipline he needed to hone his skills to a level of mastery. He grew up with his compassion intact, and always looked for the best in people. This all changed of course when he was betrayed by one of his teachers and his brother of all people. Natasha on the other hand was trained from the time that she could walk, to be a cold-blooded killer. She was taught right away to squash all of her emotions. This in turn made her a very effective killer. It makes the job way easier when you don't feel anything. Since this was so deeply imbedded in Natasha at such a young age, she retained it and still effectively used it to this day. It's almost like a switch is flipped on and off with her. That is one of the only differences between him and his breathtaking partner. Torturing someone would definitely come back to haunt him later, but Natasha could do it all day and still have a good night's sleep. Natasha wasn't here and he needed information, so it was time for him to be the bad guy. It wouldn't be the first time.

He paced back and forth for another minute before stopping and taking one last deep breath.

He looked at the unconscious man who was bound and gagged sitting in a rickety wooden chair in the middle of one of the halls. A couple of minutes ago he had been forced to check the man's pulse to make sure he was still alive. He should've woken up by now. Clint honestly didn't think he kicked the man that hard.

He marched towards the man, his boots echoing loudly with every step.

Raising his hand back and making sure not to overdo it, he slapped the man hard across the face.

The man jolted awake with the shock and expression of a man who had just been brought back to life. Not long after, he seemed to realize where he was and what situation he was in because he started barking out what sounded like some very harsh words in Clint's opinion. It was muffled however due to rag that was stuffed in his mouth, but Clint got the idea.

"Now that's just unnecessary" Clint said smiling at the man. "Now I've got a couple questions I need to ask you. I don't have time for bullshit so every moment of my time you waste with silence or smart remarks; I'll waste some of your blood. Do we have a deal?"

The man gave Clint a murderous look but Clint just kept smiling at him as though they were best buddies.

Clint reached down to the man's mouth and yanked the rag out of it. Immediately the man bit down hard which caused him to groan in pain.

"Oh yeah, I met to tell you I scheduled you a dentist appointment earlier, that tooth looked a little dangerous" said Clint laughing.

The man aimed a chunk of spit at Clint but he was ready for it.

He side-stepped it and gave the man a questioning look. "Now why would you go and do that?" Clint asked. "I thought we had a deal Bob" he said using the name he always used when dealing with an unknown enemy.

"Fuck you Robin Hood" the man said shaking with rage.

"Really an archer joke? Come on Bob you can do better than that" said Clint now looking amused. "Listen Bob I'd love to go back and forth with you all night, but I have other things I need to attend to. So let's get right to it. Who do you work for?"

"SHIELD" said the man now smiling. "Just like you Hawkeye."

"Bullshit asshole, SHIELD would never order a top agent killed, at least not without a warning" Clint said.

The man said nothing, he just kept smiling.

Clint wiped all emotion from his face and said "I'm going to ask you one more time. Who do you work for?"

He was again met with silence.

"Okay" was all Clint said.

He walked to his bag which was located on the floor on the side of the hall. He pulled out an unused first aid kit. He glanced inside for a second before pulling out what he needed. Taking the two syringes in one hand, he removed the needles from both with the other hand.

He walked back to the man and knelt down in front of him. Looking him right in the eye he took the first needle and pressed it hard into the tip of his pointer finger.

The man let out an ear-splitting scream that echoed of the walls of the massive underground space. Clint did not falter; he continued to look the man directly in the face the entire time. Once the man's screams had subsided Clint didn't say a word, he tilted his head a bit and inserted the second needle into the tip of the man's middle finger.

This continued for another 15 minutes until every fingertip was pierced. Clint only had 2 needles so he resorted to using the tips of his arrows instead. Now the man could hardly keep quiet. He was sweating profusely and his breathing was very uneven. Clint had to slap him back into consciousness twice already.

"Are you ready to talk now Bob?" He asked.

"Ple-" The man tried to say.

"Sorry Bob I didn't catch that, could you speak up." Clint said seriously.

"Please no more please" the man whined, his words barely audible.

"Then tell me what I want to know" Clint said.

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just please stop I'm begging you" said the man who began sobbing.

"So back to my initial question" began Clint. "Who do you work for?"

The man blinked out a few more tears before saying, "I work for Hydra."

"Hydra has been extinct for about 70 years now, explain yourself."

"Hydra was never truly extinct" the man said quickly, obviously trying to get Clint his answers as fast as possible. "Hydra and SHIELD had some of the same ideas, such as believing in things that other people call myths or fiction. This led to some members of the historic Hydra joining SHIELD disguising themselves and their true allegiance. This has been going on for about 70 years now. They have recruited new members and the organization has grown as a living parasite inside SHIELD. Some of the missions you have done weren't for SHIELD's benefit, they were for Hydra's. About fifty percent of SHIELD is Hydra, including ninety percent of the STRIKE teams."

Clint sat there with his mouth open, not bothering to hide the blatant look of shock on his face. He honestly didn't give a damn if the man saw one of his weak moments, he would be dead soon enough. If what he was saying was true, then why did they suddenly come out of hiding? Clint had just figured out his next question.

"If Hydra was able to grow inside SHIELD and actually sanction missions through SHIELD, then why come out of hiding now?"

"You're familiar with project insight I assume?" The man asked.

Clint nodded.

The man shook his head violently; the pain was still consuming him.

Clint walked back over to the man and jammed one of the needles in further. "Talk" he said.

Once the man stopped screaming once again he began to speak. Much like he did the first time. His sentences came out in blurs but Clint caught every word. "The crew of the insight hellicarriers are all Hydra. Once those carriers are airborne and operational Hydra will be able to take out any threat with the push of a button. If we succeed, SHIELD will have fallen completely in a matter of minutes. Too get started early, some Hydra agents that were on missions with high priority targets such as you, were ordered to take them out."

Clint gave the man a murderous look. He slowly drew the pistol that was holstered on his thigh.

"I have one last question" Clint said, his tone as dangerous as the weapon in his hand. "Who is the leader of Hydra now?"

The man kept his eyes on the pistol in Clint's hand while he said in a shaky tone "Alexander Pierce."

Clint's eyes widened with shock. "You're lying" he yelled. He had finally hit his breaking point. It was like a volcano erupted. He no longer had a grip on the anger that had been threatening to burst out for the past few minutes.

"No I'm not lying I swear to you" said the man, drawing his eyes away from the pistol and back up to Clint's face. The man had lost control to. The fear and pain that was consuming him all burst forth at once. "Please I'm begging you don't kill me. I have a family. I'll disappear I promise. I'll report back to my unit that I was captured but I escaped and killed you in the process, that way they will stop hunting you. Please, PLEASE."

It was all empty words to Clint. He looked the man in the eyes as he begged for his life. Clint didn't feel any sympathy whatsoever towards the man. As far as he was concerned the man was a double traitor and a coward. He was working for SHIELD while being Loyal to Hydra, and now he was here talking about betraying the people he was loyal to. Clint didn't care that the man had a family. As far as he was concerned, the world didn't need anybody with his snake like and cowardly genes. This man would never see his family again.

Clint switched the gun off safety, careful not to take his eyes off the man. He wanted the man to be terrified before he died, but he suddenly thought of something even better. This man had spent his entire career lying to people and had basically played the organization who hired him for a full. He was a cowardly little trickster. He wanted this man to know exactly what that felt like. What it felt like to be stabbed in the back.

So Clint switched his gun back on safety and holstered it. He walked towards the man and said "I'm going to cut you loose. I want you to go back to your unit and tell them I'm dead. If I ever see your face again you are a dead man."

"The man looked up at Clint his eyes suddenly filled with hope. "Thankyou" he said. "I will tell my unit and then I will disappear I promise you."

Clint removed the needles and arrow tips from the man's fingers and then cut his bonds loose.

"The exit is that way" said Clint pointing a finger behind the man. "There's an SUV parked outside. Keys are in the ignition, take it."

The man nodded and began walking in the direction Clint pointed.

"Hey Bob" Clint yelled after the man.

The man was so determined to get out of the tunnel, he didn't hear Clint grab the bow and nock an arrow.

The man turned around.

Clint was satisfied when he saw the look of pure terror on the man's face before the arrow landed in his eye socket…


	6. Mission

**Here is chapter 6 guys, enjoy! BTW after this story is over I will be doing a Black Widow Origins story. I love how complex her character is. Leave a review or message me to let me know what you guys think about that.**

Clint jolted awake with a sense of urgency. He had murder in his heart like he always did when he was startled out of his sleep. His pistol was aimed at the source of the noise that had awoken him.

It was nothing but an innocent little squirrel crawling around on the windshield. When he pointed the gun in its direction it froze. Clint let out a yawn followed by a laugh. He had to admit, the sight of the squirrel freezing as though it was under arrest was one of the funniest things he'd seen in a while.

After switching the gun back on safety, he checked his surroundings. The shopping center parking lot he chose to sleep in the previous night was still just as empty as it was when he found it. He checked his watch. It was only 6 am. Surely people would start to fill the lot soon. He had been driving nonstop for about 8 hours the previous day. His goal was to get out of Arizona which he had done. He was now about 5 hours over the New Mexico border. After all he did kill about 30 men in Arizona. He definitely needed to put some space between him and that state. For now he was on his own he would deal with the legal shit later.

He had been too tired last night to stop and get checked into a motel. He had been going nonstop for almost 48 hours. Pushing past limits was something he was very good at it, but after he almost swerved off the highway, he knew he had to get some sleep immediately. He really did need to shower and get himself cleaned up. He got back on the road in search of a cheap little motel. He didn't need anything too fancy because he still wanted to maintain his low profile.

About 10 minutes down the road he found a suitable motel. It size was very deceiving because it was a tiny little place, but it was very nice on the inside. The main lobby windows almost literally sparkled in the sunlight. The tile in the main lobby was made of slick granite that looked as though it were laid down yesterday. Even the counter tops were granite. Clint inwardly applauded whoever designed this. He hoped the rooms were just as nice.

He slowly walked up to the front desk, still taking in every detail of the place. He noticed two cameras in the lobby. On the wall behind the front desk was the building layout. He examined for about 20 seconds before he had it memorized. The building only had 2 floors. The main floor had a front door, 2 side doors, and a back door. The 2nd floor had a fire escape, and one side door. This was information he needed just in case HYDRA somehow found him again.

Suddenly a woman appeared behind Clint and made her away around to the front desk. She was dressed in formal attire with a name tag pinned to her chest that read Raina. Raina had waist length blonde hair and was a little bit shorter than himself.

"I apologize sir" she said. "I hope you haven't been waiting here long. I was just getting things set up for the day."

Clint thought she must be really busy, because she still hadn't looked up at him yet.

"No need to apologize, I just got here" he said with a lot more energy than most people had at this hour. "Also you don't have to call me sir it makes me feel old."

His tone made her look up from the paperwork she was sifting through. Once her eyes landed on him they widened and her cheeks turned scarlet. She dropped the papers on the desk and put on her most flirtatious smile. "How can I help you?" She asked.

He smiled back innocently. She was quite beautiful. Now that he had a good look at her he noticed that she had striking hazel eyes.

"I'd like to get a room for about 24 hours, but if I need it longer I'll let you know" he said casually.

"Okay" she said as she kneeled down and started fumbling with something that was under the desk. When she stood back up to full height she was holding a key card which she handed to him. He noticed that the 2 top buttons on her shirt were now unbuttoned revealing cleavage that left almost nothing to the imagination.

"Can I help you with anything else?" She said.

"Well yeah, don't I need to pay and don't you need my name before I go to the room?" He asked chuckling a little bit, making sure to keep his eyes focused on hers. He didn't think it was possible for her to turn a deeper shade of red but boy was he surprised. Her face was now so red that it resembled a stop sign. She was obviously embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry, it's been a busy morning and"… she started trying to explain but he cut her off.

"Like I said before you don't have to apologize" he laughed. "Not everyone's a morning person, believe me, my coworkers all hate me because I'm the only one happy to get up this early. Not to mention that I don't even need coffee."

She laughed and replied "yeah I'm definitely not a morning person at all. I usually don't work mornings but I had to fill in for somebody else. Lucky I did too or else I wouldn't have met you." He noticed how after she said this her eyes traced down his arms. He just had to wear a sleeveless shirt.

"Oh god" he thought.

As much as he missed Natasha he was glad she wasn't here for this. Natasha loved trying to find women for him to date. Not that she had to look hard to find some that were willing. Every time he dated someone new Natasha would always find him or call him the next day just to ask "so did you find your future Lady Hawk?" The first time she asked him this he almost peed his pants laughing. Over the years however it had gotten annoying and Natasha knew it got under his skin. He suspected that was half the reason she still did it. In turn he told her that her name fit her perfectly. Not just because she was the most deadly women on the planet. It suited her also because the female black widow spider is supposedly known for eating the male after they mate. Natasha could hardly find a man to fulfill her sexual needs because they were always so worried about being killed by her either during, or after sex. Clint found this hilarious. Those men were missing out. He and Natasha had slept together only once about 8 years ago to solidify their cover on a mission. To this day he hadn't found a woman that could fuck like Natasha. She was very aggressive yet very passionate. He had never experienced anything like it.

"So how much do I owe you?" He asked, completely ignoring what she previously said.

"Umm, for one night, that will be 50 dollars" she mumbled obviously even more embarrassed now.

He pulled a 100 dollar bill out of his wallet and handed it to her. "Keep the change" he said smiling. And with that he was off to find his room.

An hour later Clint had showered and managed to take stock of all the weapons and ammunition he had. Now he was on the laptop that he had convinced Raina to let him use about ten minutes prior. He was looking at the breaking news in Washington DC to see if he could find anything that was out of place.

He was on the news page for a whole 20 seconds when he saw something he never thought he would see. The headline was **CAPTAIN AMERICA: FUGITIVE.** Clint quickly read the long article and couldn't believe the bullshit they had made into a story. According to this, Cap was wanted after withholding information regarding Director Fury's death. On top of that, he had gone rogue and also had a red headed woman as his accomplice.

He smiled at this last part. Cap was very smart and resourceful. He was also very well trained, but he didn't think he had enough experience to hide from an agency like SHIELD. Luckily he had Natasha with him so he'd be alright. At least now he knew what was going on and why she wasn't answering her phone.

Somebody in Hydra was really high up in the SHIELD ranks. They had to be to get an article out like this. That same person was probably the same person who had Director Fury murdered. Maria Hill could do it, she was Fury's right hand, and she was also the only level 9 SHIELD agent. Director Fury was level 10, but they pretty much had the same resources. Clint knew Maria personally and considered her a good friend. Being a bad guy just didn't fit her character. There were also the level 8 agents who could pull something like this off although it would be much more difficult for them. The only other person he could think of was Alexander Pierce and the World Security Council. If Pierce or someone from the council had something to do with this then things were going to get a lot scarier. They literally controlled all of SHIELD's most powerful weapons.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Maybe it was Natasha. It had to be because he hadn't called anybody else from this number.

He let it ring a little bit longer before answering. "Who's this?" He asked in a serious tone.

"Calm the fuck down Barton it's me" said a voice that almost made Clint drop the small burner phone.

"Director Fury?" He asked. "No it can't be, you're dead who is this really?"

"Damn Barton, kind of sounds like you really want me to be dead" said Director Fury laughing.

"No sir of course not. It's just Natasha told me you were dead 2 days ago and hear you are calling me" Clint snapped. "How do I really know it's you? You could be using one of those voice modifiers."

"Barton, how do you even know about those? You know what never mind, the point is I am not dead" Director Fury said. "If you want proof here you go. The only people who know about what you and Romanoff did on that mission 8 years ago are me and Coulson. Are you satisfied now?"

Clint swallowed hard. It really was Director Fury. He was alive. Clint couldn't believe it.

"Sir why exactly does Natasha think you're dead?" He asked.

"Because she saw me die" said Fury in a tone that made it seem like this was most obvious answer.

"Can you please elaborate sir?" Clint asked, rolling his eyes.

"I was taken to a hospital after I was shot and I flat lined while Romanoff, Rogers, and Hill were there. Along with some other Agents" explained Fury. "I used a chemical Banner developed that slows the heartrate to 1 beat per minute. I needed whoever tried to kill me to really think I was dead."

"Smart" said Clint smiling.

"Well I didn't become the Director of SHIELD by being dumb Barton" said Fury, and Clint just knew he was rolling his eyes. "Now listen up I have a mission for you. How much do you know about project insight?"

"Pretty much everything" said Clint. The Hydra agent I captured 2 days ago was very cooperative."

"I see you've been busy" said Fury. "Yes my sources have confirmed that Hydra has been growing within SHIELD for decades now. I'm sorry Barton, I should have seen it."

"Nobody saw it Director so it's nobody's fault" Clint stated. "All we can do now is kill all of the sons of bitches that are loyal to that psychopathic organization."

Fury laughed and said "my thoughts precisely."

"So what's the mission sir?"


	7. Smoke Screen

"Wow! That was the best sex I've had in years" Raina whispered, still trying to catch her breath.

"I was kind of aiming for best sex ever, but I guess that works to" said Clint, laughing as her body gave up and she collapsed down on top of him.

His call with Fury ended about 3 hours ago. After that surprising phone call he went out to grab a quick bite to eat and also to pick up some new clothes and gear he might need for the mission Fury assigned him. Fury had somehow been able to charter him a private jet that would be taking him to his destination. Fury had only told him what he would need but not what he would actually be doing. The pilot would be giving him those details. If the missions he had been assigned by Fury in the past were anything like this, then Clint was in for one hell of a ride. Sometimes he thought the man had more confidence in his abilities than he himself did.

He still had about 2 more hours before he needed to be at the private little airstrip he had been given directions to. So he thought why not have a little fun before he had to leave to undoubtedly cause even more chaos. He had found out what time Raina's lunch break was and told her she should stop by and check on him during that time, and now here they were.

He gently slid his left hand down her backside until it rested on her bum. She slid her arms up to his chest and braced herself so she could look at him. She was a mess. Her pupils were still blown wide open with lust and her legs gave the slightest twitch every couple of seconds. She was unsuccessfully trying to come down from the high of pleasure her body just experienced. Every time her leg twitched, it was another stroke to his pride.

"So is it usually like this around here" he asked suddenly.

"If you mean does the staff usually sleep around with customers then I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this is a first" she said laughing playfully.

"That's just it though" he said keeping his tone nice and even.

"I don't think I follow you handsome, what exactly do you mean" she asked now sitting up a little more.

"I've been here for about 5 hours and I haven't seen or heard anybody else" he explained. "It's a little perplexing. This morning I understand, but like I said 5 hours later and still nothing. That's why I'm asking is it always like that?"

"It gets like this every now and then. Most people can't tell how nice of a hotel this is from the outside, but we usually do better on weekends. During the week it's kind of a gamble" she explained in a robotic sort of way.

This didn't go unnoticed by Clint, he could always tell if something was practiced and what she just told his was definitely practiced many times. Then again he might just be paranoid due to experience. He wouldn't do anything dramatic just yet but if she gave any more red flags he would have to act. More than one red flag was never a coincidence.

"It's kind of creepy to be honest" he said laughing.

"I completely agree with you, I've often told my boss the same thing" she said flatly. "He should be coming in tonight and working through the morning so you'll meet him most likely. He's a really cool laid back guy."

"I wish I could, but I'm sorry to say that I have to leave in about an hour. I got an urgent call a little bit ago from my job saying they need me a little bit earlier than expected" he said as he started to kiss the side of her neck.

"Too bad I was really hoping for a round two" she said. She bit her lip playfully and said "we could do a quickie."

He laughed because he was thinking the same thing, even though he knew he couldn't. "I wish I could Raina I really do, but I really need to start getting ready, maybe next time" he said smiling at her.

She looked really disappointed for a second but quickly recovered herself. She leaned down and whispered in his ear "okay handsome next time, but at least let me shower with you, wouldn't want to waste water."

20 minutes later they were both showered and dressed, although Raina did her absolute best to almost make him give into a quickie. Clint was tying his boots when something in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Raina was bending over and fidgeting with 1 of her high heeled shoes. When she bent over it made her skirt a little tighter and with that he noticed an odd shape on the outside of her right thigh. It only took him a second to realize what it was. It was a very small pistol strapped to her thigh. Clint immediately went into tactical mode, though he didn't show it on the outside.

She sneaked a quick glance over at him and he smiled at her like everything was normal, but they certainly were not going to remain that way for long. He was now analyzing her from head to toe. From the way she carried herself he could now tell that she was an experienced fighter and that she would be very skilled in combat. He didn't need to be a genius to know that she was Hydra, but it seemed that they were done sending their little foot soldiers after him. By the looks of her, it looked like they were pulling out the big guns.

He thought he was being inconspicuous while he analyzed her, but the sound of a gun being cocked made him realize how wrong he was.

"I see you've figured me out Hawkeye" she said with a rather cocky smirk on her face.

"I've got to hand it to you, you're quite the actress" he said, not taking his eyes of hers.

"The person I was pretending to be was the only thing not true, but if it's any consolation the sex was good" she said winking.

"Why not just kill me when I walked into the hotel" he asked curiously. He smiled just throw her off also, people hated when he smiled in the face of death.

"That hasn't really worked for the other 30 or so men we've sent after you now has it" she answered sarcastically. Besides I was trained by your partner, so they figured I was the best qualified.

The smile was instantly replaced by a look of pure focus. Gone was the Clint Barton who joked around even while faced with death. This woman was more deadly than he realized if she was trained by Natasha. She was also smart. He needed to get out of this position and fast. He might have to take a bullet 2 do it but he didn't see any other way.

"If you were trained by Natasha why have I never seen you before" he asked stalling so he could work up the nerve to do what he needed to do.

"I was a SHIELD shadow so a lot of people didn't know I existed" she answered. It infuriated Clint the way she put emphasis on the word was, and it was this that pushed him over the edge.

Almost faster than she could get her shot off, he pulled the SIG P226 out of his leather jacket. He dove to the side straight through the bathroom door. He felt a burning sensation on his arm and his ribs but he didn't have time to assess the damage because shots were fired straight through the wall and these were barely missing him. Once they stopped he hopped and ran back out of the bathroom door. He took a deep breath and fired two shots and 1 he was glad to see hit her square in her left shoulder. However in the blink of an eye she drew a blade from seemingly nowhere and threw it at the hand that was holding the pistol. He was forced to drop the pistol to avoid the knife being embedded in his hand, and before he could recover the pistol she had already closed the gap between them. She pulled out another sharp blade and in 2 quick moments she kicked off her high heels and s cut down the middle of her skirt and tore it off so that her legs would be free but still covered by her black tights.

With her next move she darts a jab out to punch him but he catches her fist painfully in his own hand. She then lunges with the knife which he is able to also catch. He takes her wrist and twists it hard which causes her to gasp in pain and drop the deadly blade. He lets go and throws a ferocious left hook at her head which she ducks under. She jabs him twice in the stomach and he is surprised by how much power is behind the punches. She follows up with an uppercut that he just barely manages to dodge. He then sends a sidekick into her chest which sends her stumbling back and onto the ground. She put her hands behind her heard and uses the momentum to roll backwards and back onto her feet. She runs at him throwing a flurry of punches which he deflects. He throws a roundhouse kick to her side which she catches, but he doesn't panic. He jumps and throws another roundhouse kick with his free leg which hits her in the side of the face. She lets him go and he falls to the floor. He notices his pistol next to his foot. He bounces back to his feet and picks it up and goes to raise it, but as soon as he does she runs forward and grabs the slide of the gun with her right hand and detaches it, rendering the gun useless. Growling in frustration, he throws the gun to the side. He grabs her by the hair and slams her head into the wall. She breaks loose and aims a kick at his head. He catches her leg with his left arm. He pulls a switch blade from his back pocket with his right hand and stabs her 4 times in the leg before punching her in the face sending her back to the ground but she's still conscious. He throws a hard kick at the side of her head knocking her unconscious.

He then goes to recover his gun which he reassembles without even having to look at it. He needs to get out of here, but first he needs to find out exactly how they found him. He pauses for a second and takes a look around the room until he sees the bucket that's meant for ice. It would do perfectly. He takes it to the bathroom where he fills it to the brim with cold water. He sets it down on the floor because there is something he needs to take care of before he uses it. He hurries over to his duffle bag and pulls out the same pliers he used on the now dead hydra agent he came across about 2 days ago. He then grabbed some rope he had just recently acquired and a zip tie. He then heads over to the unconscious agent and kneels down beside her. With the same precision as last time, he manages to quickly remove the tooth with the embedded cyanide capsule. He slowly picked all of her dead weight up and set her non to gently in the only chair the room provided. Restraining her took a little time, he had to make sure there weren't any loopholes she could exploit, because he had no doubt that if she was trained by Natasha then she could find even the smallest one.

Taking a couple steps back from her, he admired his work. Completely satisfied that she couldn't escape now, he went to retrieve the bucket of water. Smiling before he did it, he overturned the entire bucket of cold liquid onto her head.

"Rise and shine sleepyhead" he said as she coughed and sputtered herself awake.

The murderous look she threw at him almost made him step back despite her being bound.

"How did you find me" he asked, all the playfulness he had just exuded was completely gone.

"Oh don't worry Hawkeye, I won't make it difficult for you" she said, and to his surprise she started smiling. The bullet wound in her shoulder didn't even seem to phase her either. "You know that tracking chip Fury ordered put into you and Romanoff's arms 4 years ago after Budapest. Well since we've come out into the light we've been trying to find you that way, but the encryption was to advanced for most of our people. Luckily for us we got one of SHIELDS people and let's just say we can be very convincing when it comes to getting people to do what we want."

Clint's stomach turned over and he felt a bit of rage surge up in his body because he knew exactly what that meant. However now was not the time to lose control. He was mentally chastising himself for being so stupid. How could he forget about the chip? It was so obvious and small but it had drastic consequences.

He took the switchblade out of his pocket and proceeded to the bathroom. He needed to hurry because he had saw her typing on her phone just before he had spotted the gun under her skirt. She was no doubt calling for backup just in case things turned out exactly how they did so far. He ran the blade under some hot water and cut into the middle of his forearm. The pain was bearable enough. He stuck a finger in until he felt the tiny piece of plastic he was looking for and pulled it out. He looked at it for about 2 seconds before dropping it onto the hard floor and stomping it into 100 pieces. He walked back out into the room and was irritated to see that she was still smiling. He checked her restraints and found that they were still intact.

"Well I guess I have no use for you anymore" he said coldly. Even as he pulled the pistol back out his jacket her smile didn't falter even slightly. He aimed the pistol at the spot right between her eyes but his concentration was drawn to the sound of something rolling on the floor. He looked towards the door and saw two flashbang grenades, and one smoke grenade.

"Oh shit" was all he could get out before the flashes went off and his senses left him.


End file.
